This invention relates to a saw blade for a reciprocating saw apparatus.
A conventional reciprocating saw apparatus comprises a power unit having a housing that contains a motor and a transmission that converts rotary movement of the output shaft of the motor to reciprocating linear movement of an output member of the saw apparatus. The apparatus further includes a saw blade removably attached to the output member.
The saw blade of a conventional reciprocating saw apparatus typically has two edges, one of which is toothed. At one end, the blade is provided with a tang or other attachment element for securing the blade to the output member of the power unit. At its other end, the blade has a transverse edge that is inclined relative to the longitudinal edges and meets the toothed longitudinal edge at a point.
A common use of a reciprocating saw apparatus is to cut a panel of, e.g. plywood, under circumstances in which the edge of the panel is not readily accessible, such that a circular saw could be brought to bear. The user will normally drill a pilot hole in the panel and insert the blade into the hole and then cut the panel by forcing the blade along a desired path. If the pilot hole is initially too small to receive the blade, the user can start the cut by inserting the point of the blade into the hole.
It is not always convenient to drill a pilot hole in a panel in order to bring a reciprocating saw apparatus to bear on the panel. For example, a drill might not be easily accessible, or it might be necessary to swap plugs between the drill and the reciprocating saw apparatus if a power cord has only one available socket. Nevertheless, it is sometimes very difficult or impossible to start the cut using a conventional blade without a pilot hole.
The conventional saw blade is limited by virtue of its shape with regard to the cutting techniques that it will support.
In accordance with a first aspect of the invention there is provided a saw blade for a reciprocating saw apparatus, said saw blade having first and second longitudinal edges and first and second opposite ends, wherein the saw blade is provided at its first end with an attachment element for attaching the blade to a power unit, the first and second longitudinal edges of the blade are toothed, the teeth of the first and second longitudinal edges are raked towards the first end of the saw blade, and the second end of the blade is toothed and is rounded.
In accordance with a second aspect of the invention there is provided a reciprocating saw apparatus comprising a power unit having a housing and an output member, and a saw blade having first and second longitudinal edges and first and second opposite ends, the saw blade being attached at its first end to the output member of the power unit and being toothed at its first and second longitudinal edges, the teeth of the first and second longitudinal edges being raked towards the first end of the saw blade, and the second end of the blade being toothed and rounded.